Wearing his Broncos sweat shirt and a determined look that said he couldn’t be defeated, Bob Cochran rose from his wheelchair and used his arms to slowly “walk” through the parallel bars in the physical therapy room at the King Adult Day Enrichment Program.
It was therapy, exercise and, well, even a bit awe-inspiring.
In 2003, Cochran, a painter, was struck down by West Nile virus and spent three weeks in a coma. He came out of the coma, but wasn’t able to return to his Northglenn home – and his wife and two sons – for nine months.
In October 2004, Thornton High football coach Pete Vargas asked Cody Cochran, a 6-foot-5, 250-pound offensive lineman, if he minded if the Trojans made Bob Cochran an honorary team captain for a game against Denver’s East High.
Cody, Bob’s son, was honored, and as his school newspaper’s sports editor, he later wrote in “The Trojan Voice” that he unashamedly broke into tears after the 41-18 Thornton victory when his teammates and other parents gave his father a standing ovation.
Three years after becoming ill, Bob still is wheelchair-bound, working to regain strength and his speech, and slowly making progress. As he continues his fight, Cochran spends many of his days among friends at the enrichment program on the Marycrest Retreat and Conference Center in northwest Denver. The King program is named after Kenneth Kendal King, whose namesake foundation primarily paid for renovations when the program moved to the Marycrest grounds in 1991.
Taxis and vans pull into the parking lot behind the building on weekday mornings, delivering program participants, the majority suffering from multiple sclerosis. The Rocky Mountain Multiple Sclerosis Center runs the facility. Cochran is among the minority of patients with other neurological disorders or traumatic brain injuries. But what the participants tend to have in common is a desire to interact with others in similar straits. They get help and guidance from exercise physiologists, counselors, social workers, nurses, interns and volunteers. They also receive considerable camaraderie.
The age range of the roughly 75 program participants is 18 to 64. They spend the day eating two meals, taking part in activities, working in the computer lab, taking cooking or other classes, going through physical rehabilitation, watching television, reading – and often taking field trips, such as a recent one to the National Western Stock Show.
“This is very important to me,” said Cochran, who comes to the program while his wife, Joni, works as a school nurse. “They’re so nice here.”
Program administrator Pat Breese said the “intention is to have a program that allows people to stay active, stay involved with other people and maintain an awareness and involvement. It’s to keep them cognitively and physically vital, and to allow their family members to work with the peace of mind of knowing that they’re taken care of during the day.”
She added that some participants are just coming off acute rehabilitation for brain injuries, and are taking part in the program as a kind of intermediate step before attempting to go back to work.
“Most of the people who come here pass what we call a nursing facility level of care screening,” Breese said. “It basically means that if not for this program, the person most likely would require institutionalization. … Maybe they’re not safe being alone at home all day, because of falls or other issues.”
Of the approximate $70 per-patient, per-day cost, the enrichment program receives about $58 in reimbursement from Medicaid, leaving a $12 shortfall per participant. That’s where contributions come in.Upgraded and more ambitious programs also might be possible if more money is available.
The agency has applied for funding from this year’s Season to Share campaign.
The participants seem to enjoy their time at the center.
Karol Ann Jones of Westminster has MS, and she has been coming to the facility for “seven or eight years.”
It means “everything,” she said, supplying the quote marks around the word with her hands as she sat in her wheelchair. “This is a fun place to be.”
After spending the day at the King center, Karol Ann returns to her home, which was rebuilt by her brother, Greg, a few years ago to accommodate her.
Claire Samwick of Denver, who also has MS, said, “It’s my home away from home. I have many friends here and, oh, we just all get along. If somebody’s having a bad day, you try to help them out a little bit and that helps you feel better too.”
It’s catching.
Staff writer Terry Frei can be reached at 303-820-1895 or tfrei@denverpost.com.